Elostirion

Román Esteban Fontonajo Román Esteban is the head of the Fontonajo family. Román, 41 years old, was born noble on the mainland of Eslandola but nowadays lives on the island of Nellisa with his family, namely: His wife, his three sons and his daughter, his mother and his uncle. His brother with wife and two sons, a veteran to the seas, lives close. Only his sister rarely comes home. Román opening the annual family dinner. Román was born as the eldest son of the nobleman Carlos Iniesta Fontonajo, a well renowned nobleman of the old school in Eslandola, and his wife Marietta. Románs brother Rialto and sister Marja followed soon after. As they grew older Rialto became an adventurer, a sailor, a captain. Marja pursued her career in the Royal Army. Román, supposed to be his fathers son, taking over responsibility of both the estates and the family's honour, was not a fighter, not a man of the army or the crazy adventure. He wondered why his family never strived to be more: bigger, richer and more powerful. He never understood how his father could be satisfied being an, while well renowned, after all irrelevant small nobleman. About this and many other things Román and his father had many arguments, many fights with words, and did not seem to become friends again in this life. However 18 years ago all that was going to change. The island of Nellisa had just been discovered as Románs father got sick. The doctors gave him three more months, half a year if all he did was lie in bed. But Carlos Iniesta Fontonajo never was the man to lie in bed. He set sail for one last voyage over the ocean, accompanied by his wife and his son Román - neither Rialto, who expected his first child, nor Marja, about to be on a mission for the king, had the chance or time to come with him. And so Iniesta, Marietta and Román sailed east on a merchant's cog, passed Tiberia, made a short halt in Terraversa, and even came as far as Nellisa to see the first foundations of Nova Terreli being raised from the ground before they turned home. It was on that trip home when Iniesta finally got weak and lay in bed for three days straight. "Son", Iniesta said. "I think it's about time for one last cup of rum." His father did not drink anything but whine or water. There was a rumor that once in his youth he had gotten really drunk by rum, but then... Román knew it was going to end soon. "Thank you, my son... Ahhh... I have missed that... taste... Now both of you, listen to me. Sitting at home in Eslandola, as I have done all my life... this is not what we were born to be. You were right, son. Terra Nova is where the future is made, THIS is where we belong. Once you get home make sure to bury me well, but then sell your heritage and take your family and leave for the future. Care for them, care for your brother and for your sister, and always support them and your children in who they are, not in who you want them to be. No, don't worry. I am not yet an old man who has gone mad. Just an old man who realised his faults in life." Iniesta paused, and Román started: "But father, you have achieved...", but his father cut his word: "Sure I have achieved a lot in life. I have lived an honorable life, I have a wonderful and loving wife. I have seen my first two grandsons, my next grandchild is about to be born. But Román, my beloved son, above all else I have achieved to raise you." As tears ran down his cheeks Román and his mother brought his father to the ship's deck, for a last breath of fresh air, and as they passed Terraversa Carlos Iniesta Fontonajo passed away. And here he stood, Román Esteban Fontonajo, head of a family, with a giant task ahead of him - the departure of his family into Terra Nova, and the start of their new lives in the unknown. Román in the gardens of his estate (eating a Manzana-apple). The Fontonajo Family Coat of Arms So I join Eslandola with Román Esteban Fontonajo as my sigfig. TC yet to be decided. EDIT: The Fontonajo family is proud member of the MCTC.

"My dear, no matter where in the world you may be or what you might be doing, whether it's for riches, your king or glory - once a year you will all come home. Because family is all we have, after all." 'Madre' Marietta to her daughter Marja, some years ago Once a year the Fontonajo family comes together for their annual dinner. It's about eating and drinking, about laughing and smiling, about celebrating victories or moaning losses. It's about Eslandola, about wearing green clothes and drinking from golden cups. It's about the past and the future. But more than all it's about a family coming together again, about not losing grasp to the bonds that are most important in this quickly changing world. Román Esteban Fontonajo, the head of the family, standing in front of the big tapestry, lifts his glass and gives his opening words to the family diner, thanking them all for coming. 615 AE will be a good year for the family, a great year. They all cheer and take a sip of their glasses - water for the kids and a good red whine for the adults - and then take their seats. Trout has been served this year, along with some steamed carrots and bread. All family members are dressed in a traditional green, as every year. Román took a bite of his trout, looked around and saw the smile on his mother's face as their eyes met. And he felt happy. All members of the Fontonajo family: from left to right: - Alejandro Baltone, age 14, Román's 3rd son - Isabella Elisa, age 16, Román's daughter - Joaquin Seramon, age 20, Román's 2nd son - Marja Henrietta, age 36, Román's sister - Juan Alfonso, age 22, Román's eldest son and heir - Clarissa Raltessa, age 41, Román's wife from left to right: - 'Madre' Marietta, age 64, Román's mother - Raphael 'El Tío', age 71, Román's uncle (father's brother) - Rialto Espada, age 39, Román's brother - Anna, age 44, Rialto's wife - Heliodoro, age 18, Rialto's 1st son - Franjo, age 15, Rialto's 2nd son Three more impressions of the annual dinner: 1. Marietta checking the room in the morning before the dishes have been served 2. Dishes have been served, the family is about to enter 3. Top-view ------------------------------- I will post further background information about all family members (which I will use as side characters in BoBS) in a future MOC.

Category A: Three seasons of a ruin Category C: Flowers in the desert Not sure if I will be able to enter into category B; the idea is there, but time is the issue...

The Algus had setup a minor fortification on a small hill in the middle of the Kaliphlin Desert. The location has some strategic importance, however was deserted many years ago due to the lack of water supply. However this did not seem to affect the Algus at all, as they held their watch in the desert and awaited further orders. Prior to their arrival, though, the rare nomad travelling the desert could only see ruins on the hill, and occasionaly a scorpion or two: Some day a lonely wanderer, clad in a dark red robe and with a golden staff, approached the ruin. The Algus were in wonder about the fearless wizard, and even more so once he conjured his magical barrier. Little did they know! Neither had they realized the other two warriors approaching (both the Leander warrior in gold and the red-clad assassin), nor did they have a clue what was going on behind their back. Lulu the unicorn sorceress had come and already started melting the ice, bringing love, life, flowers and butterflies to the desert once more, and fighting the Algus her very own way. But Lulu's mission was more than just freeing the world of the Algus. She made the world a better place to live in. Together with her loyal warriors she cleaned the ruins of all remainders of the Algus. They chopped the magical ice the Algus had created into big blocks and stored them inside the ruins. Yes, the heat of the desert made the magical ice of the Algus melt, but it would take many, many years for those big blocks to fully melt. Until then, they would provide the ruins with enough water for plants and life to flourish, at least inside the ruins. Some weeks later, with a little initial help of Lulu's magic, that made plants grow so fast that the eye could watch, the once dry ruins had turned into a weird oasis, bringing some almost tropical flair into the midst of the deserts - and would do so for many years to come. Lulu had achieved a victory. But she knew her journey was not over, yet. ------------------------------- I hope you like this MOC. I had started the build (and photographed the ice-less version) before christmas. The ice-version is also some days old. Today I finished the oasis-version. Though I am not 100% happy with the way the plants and especially the pics turned out (I love the front view, but the rear views are not that great imho), but BoBs has captured most of my attention for now, so I will leave it as is.

Spreading rumor in Petrea | Elostirion | Kaliphlin

It's rare to see a forest-soil which actually looks like forest-soil, and trees that look as dense, almost burdening, as those - you managed to capture an amazing forest feeling, very well done.

Stunning work, I love that floor.

Amazing work. Ulandus isn't defeated, long live Ulandus. ;-)

Lovely idea and so many rules to read through - first off thank you so much Ska and all the others who put their effort and so much of their time into this, I am so much looking forward to it! As I am still figuring out how everything works, here is what I plan to do: 1a. Sign up for Eslandola (sorry for being one more of them, explanation below) 1b. Build a sigfig with a little MOC and back story and earn 25 DB for it. 1c. Possibly join a Trading Company. -> Should it be registered as a freebuild as well? 2. Claim a charter for a settlement in Nellisa. As I am from Eslandola I will PM kabel about it. 3. Build some kind of "small property" (e.g. a small factory) in / close to the settlement. -> Get the license for free (because first property) -> Register it as a freebuild via webform and in the thread. -> Earn 10 DB because one of the first two freebuilds. -> Account balance: 35 DB. 4. Build another "small property" (e.g. a small plantation) in / close to the settlement. -> Pay 25 DB for it. -> Register it as a freebuild via webform and in the thread. -> Earn 10 DB because one of the first two freebuilds. -> Account balance: 20 DB. 5. Build another "small propery" which I can afford, so: a small residence. -> Pay 5 DB for it. -> Register it as a freebuild via webform and in the thread. -> Earn 0-7 DB for it depending on amount of upvotes. -> Account balance: 15-22 DB. 6a. Wait for monthly revenue and 6b. participate in challenges Did I get it all right? Did I misunderstand anything? About my personal choice of faction for me to build in: 4. Oleon. For some reason it just did not appeal to me at all. I don't like the idea of the Clerus/religion having so much power. Colonialization, expansion, trade, new settlements are all lacking. I do like the colours, though. 3. Sea Rats. The problem is that they lack perspective about setting something up. For me to use them they would be more of an anarchistic realm rather than mere pirates. I couldn't imagine a Sea Rat settlement that would not be a pirate nest, I would have felt too limited. 2. Corrington. I absolutely like the ideas of order, structure, planning and this all backed up by science, I also loved the characters introduced and the amount of story backing it all up. What I don't like for my builds though is the proposed building style, which I think would limit me too much in what I want to do. 1. Eslandola. Because it leaves most options. I prefer "playing the trade and economy game", I love the idea of expanding further than all others and the best options to set up new settlements in the way I want them to be, and to play the game in a real nation (unlike the Sea Rats) with lots of freedom. Also I love the choice of colours and the builds presented so far. This does not mean not all factions are great, which I think they all are (actually I think Oleon and Corrington are more creative ideas than Eslandola, and the Sea Rats will probably bring the most variety to the game), it's just my very personal reasoning for why I chose Eslandola for me to build in. Finally a small suggestion about the map (which is really great): I had quite some trouble figuring out that "Terra Incognita" was not a continent but actually undiscovered land. I think you could make that even more obvious in the map, like in my (bad looking) suggestion below.

Thanks for the kind words, glad you like it. :-)

Great build, I love the choice of colours, so nice to look at.

What a magnificent build! The frozen water, the way you did the snowy hill, the winding path towards the gate (probably my favourite part of the whole build, it fits so great into the landscape), the crazy palisade, the harmony between grey and brown as colours, the straw roofs with patches of snow - so many things to love. Thanks for sharing!

Great entries, I especially love the prison - so much action and so cleanly executed. Great work!

"Don't look for your enemies' weaknesses. Take their strengths and use them for your own benefit." The words of her mentor echoed through Lulus ears as she strode through the icy desert, towards the leader of the group of Algus her valiant fighters were about to clash with. Snow and ice were actually great in the desert, if used correctly. Transforming them back to water, the foundation of life which the desert lacks - that was all Lulu did. And, of course, leave a trail of plants and flowers behind, immediately using the freshly generated water and making the desert a livelier place than it had ever been. Lulu, the unicorn mage, strode forwards. The Algus were strong, but her magic of love, warmth and life was superior. She had always understood that real magic was far more than fancy fireballs. Now she could use that knowledge to fight one of the greatest threats the Guilds had ever faced. And she started freeing the world of ice.

Looks great, I especially like the way you did the angled leafs. Nice work!

What a lovely build. Especially the inside of the village seems so full of life and details and so fitting. Amazing choice of colours, I especially love that wall.

The two dwarven brothers Farrx and Xetolosch and their loyal ox Fredo travelling south, seeking for work in Kaliphlin. Any kind of work. ox-cart-1 by Stefan G, auf Flickr ox-cart-2 by Stefan G, auf Flickr ----------------------------------------------------------- ox-cart-3 by Stefan G, auf Flickr (an old build which I never had the time to post here, unfortunately. Don't ask me how this cart is supposed to drive with only rear wheels, looks weird now, but somehow didn't look weird back when I built it)

"The present state of Kaliphlin is in flux. It takes money, men, and will to wage a war; all of which have been spent over the last year." [skaForHire] Kolhamin of Petrea, as he now called himself, had lost a lot during the war. Not money. Actually, he was still rich. But power and influence. Which is what his life is about. He didn't like living in Petrea, nor did his wife or his brother, who spent most of his time on the roof terrace under the shade of the lemon tree nowadays. Pretending to be a cloth merchant was far from ideal. But Kolhamin knew that sacrifices had to be made, for the greater good of his people, and himself. Kolhamin turned on the balcony and went back inside his Petrea mansion. Maybe really not all was in vain, yet, at least. The ambassador of the Black Legion of Ulandus had just held an amazing speech. Of course, the listeners in the streets didn't even know that the man who had just talked to them was one of Ulandus most brilliant warlords. None of the listeners even realised that he talked against the Desert King and the High Councial. But he had. It would take time to prepare the people, to slowly undermine their thoughts and plant the seed of uproar against the Councilmen or the ancient King in the Desert. But it would be worth... Back inside Kolhamin waited for some minutes, until his wife in her beautiful white-and-red dress joined him. A quick smile, an elusive kiss, and they both desceded the cold staircase into their large basement. He looked around at all the slaves doing their work, as he had ordered. "Three more are ready, my lord. We are making good progress", the overseer told him. Kolhamin nodded. That was good. War needed preparation. And preparation was made. Even within the heart of Kaliphlin, where they least expected it. Petrea_House_01 by Stefan G, auf Flickr Petrea_House_02 by Stefan G, auf Flickr -------------------------------- Petrea_House_03 by Stefan G, auf Flickr Petrea_House_04 by Stefan G, auf Flickr ----------------------------------------------- Petrea_House_05 by Stefan G, auf Flickr

Brilliantly beautiful. Everything just fits perfectly - amazing!

Brilliant! Fantastic atmosphere, I love it.

Maybe the best FP I've seen so far, flawless execution really paid off here. Well done.

I love the use of these turned-around arches, great build!

Is the deadline for counters mentioned above correct? Maybe I am just confused, but: For example Tomsche's build was finished on 2. April. I assumed it then counted for the week which ended on 5. April. So I assumed counters had to be built until 12. April. Do I miss something?

Counterbuilds that have to be built: Ulandus - 8 High Council - 5 Desert King - 2 Tough...

Many brilliant walls, I will give it to Emma though, because in my opinion this wall matches the description of the architecture best.